


Where The Earth Splits Itself Open

by Story_In_A_Bottle



Category: Naruto
Genre: BAMF Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto), BAMF Haruno Sakura, But proud-, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 Bonding (Naruto), Dai-nana-han | Team 7 as Family (Naruto), F/F, F/M, Fix-It, Hatake Kakashi is a Good Teacher, Hatake Kakashi is a Troll, Hatake Kakashi is so Done, M/M, Multi, Other, Protective Haruno Sakura, Protective Uchiha Sasuke, Smart Uzumaki Naruto, Team as Family, Uchiha Sasuke Needs a Hug, Uzumaki Naruto is a Good Friend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:02:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22934512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Story_In_A_Bottle/pseuds/Story_In_A_Bottle
Summary: Oh But That's The Irony,Broken PeopleAre Not Fragile.- Clinton Sammy Jr
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura/Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi/Being a loving and ridiculous teacher, Hyuuga Hinata/Tenten, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 13
Kudos: 122





	1. Of the soft unknown

The dark corners of my room always made me shiver.

The way the branches outside rustled when there was no wind. The moon's glow occasionally distorted by a flying figure. I named them shadows, the things to fast for me to ever see, to sly for me to ever catch.

I made traps I learned from the one lesson I watched from a window of the Academy. I always watched class, Hokage-sama said I still couldn't go, that I was too little. But I would be old enough in two years, and I couldn't wait for it.

But one night, this night, the trap worked.

A clang resounded, from a bear trap covered by the tree branch, painted a messy brown and covered in leaves. A deep grunt followed, and I ran to my window, flinging it open, finding no shadow and no trap. 

~~

Some traps had been activated, some hadn't, but never again had the shadows fallen for my pranks.

~~

The crowded streets all busted, early Saturday, the smell of rare seafood, berries from Konoha tree's, glass antiques blues and greens, restaurants newly opened, houses rusting, the air humid and sweat glued my white shirt to my back.

I loved seafood, but my frog always seemed so depressed after buying just a little.

But the sunrise just flattened, casting the sky in yellow and blue, the dust from the streets flung up with kids all playing, adults shuffling to where they had to go.

The view from the Hokage Monument was always the best, and leaves flew past as the wind hit hard.

After I had my daily Ramen, I caught sight of a girl with bright pink hair and green eyes watching me. 

She stiffened and ran behind a booth when I waved, it hurt. I didn't want to scare her more, so I just went to my favorite place. Halfway up the Hokage monument, I felt something other than a shadow on my trail.

I ran faster, and if I listened closely I could hear another pair of fast feet.

Once I got to the top I crouched behind a piece of stone, and saw a beautiful girl reach the top racing, looking around quickly, green eyes confused and eyes furrowed as she walked past my hidden spot.

Once she did I copied what I'd seen some boy do to me, I tugged her ankle shifted both of us to the side, and used my arm to brace her landing.

Her eyes wide, and instinctively tried to squirm away.

"Hey, uh, I don't wanna hurt ya," It seemed to hold her back from running, but my mouth went dry with her leveled glare. Calm, a warning, freezing.

"I-..." But she didn't speak, she only held me in place with her eyes, I couldn't figure out what I had wanted to say.

"Who are you?" I finally asked, her shoulders rested into the beige rock, I noticed the critters all scared into the sides from the tussle, wind pushing both of our hair, silence.

"Sakura," She said, looking to the side like it was my stare that had held her back.

I noticed her outfit was plain, lacking a ninja symbol or anything.

A civilian?

I got up when the silence continued and I was sure she wouldn't bolt. Maybe. 

"That's a pretty name," I said, she blushed the color of her hair and seemed so out of place for some reason. A black sheep.

"Sorry for, uh, that," She shook her head no, 

"No, that was my fault, my intrusiveness got the better of me," Her what?

"You talk nice, but I uh,"

"Oh, it's like curiosity! Yeah my mother is a librarian, I get to learn new stuff every day!" She cheered as if forgetting where she was, leaving into a place in her mind where her joy got the best of her.

"Like what?" I learned new stuff too, but I can't hear the teachers, and I learn best when sparring happens. Fighting isn't told, it's done, I can take that much. 

Her eyes softened, 

"Anything really, history comes up a lot. Like how-"

"Wait can you read?!" It came out before I could think, always scolded for improper manners, I cringed.

But her eyes light up and she nodded,

"That's so cool Sakara-Chan!" I said that without thinking too, but she seemed to not even notice.

Thank Kami.

"Hey, do you think you could teach me to read?" I didn't mean to go back into my shell when I said that, wary for the answer. She seemed to notice, and her smile made my heart ka-thunk, her pink hair danced in the wind as she held out a thin pale hand, one much smaller than my own.

"Deal! Meet me here tomorrow morning," And then ran down the stairs, her laugh caught in the wind, pink hair disappearing once she reached the ground and ran to the library. 

I still felt the shadows, their eyes on my back. 

But I found a friend that wanted to see me again, so why should it matter?


	2. Chapter 2

"Ah,"

"No, try: a-ye,"

"Aye,"

"Perfect!" I smiled, holding back the water that my eyes wanted to spill. No one ever tried to help me with anything, let alone compliment me on it.

"This one is shaped weird, B, try it," She said while drawing B into the ground with a stick.

"Ba," The letter alone felt a little foreign on my tongue.

A quarter through the alphabet she learned the best way was to give examples, 

"G, like, gee this sucks," The back of her hand went up to her forehead and head tilted to the side dramatically. I learned that word from her, I like it a lot.

"G,"

"Nailed it,"

Soon enough the sun was fully in the sky and I'd already gotten through the whole alphabet.

"Now I'm gonna help you cheat, say this with me," I nodded, 

"~A B C D E F G~"

"~Aye, B, C, Day, ef, Jay~" My shoulders stiffened when I heard the difference, but I was shocked when she grinned back, 

"That was really good, try it again, ~ A B C D E F G~,"

"A, B, Say, D, E, F, Jay," It felt closer, if still off.

"Wow, you're learning this a lot faster then I did," 

Sitting in my bed I think she was lying, but the way we both laughed while making words that didn't exist, I didn't care.

Through the rest of the day, I sang the alphabet, trying my best to remember what they all looked like, seeing them on signs, coats, in words. The easiest I caught, but the lines still foreign to me.

"How do you spell Ramen?" I asked Teuchi, and he took out a pen and a piece of my receipt.

"R, Ah, Em, E, En?" He nodded and handed me a newspaper someone had left at the stand, 

"If you're looking to learn, try taking it at the source," I nodded, forgetting to thank him until he'd gone into the back.

I sighed, dumb, I'm so stupid.

"Here," I looked up, Ayame smiling down at me with long brown hair, 

"I messed up this asses order and he demanded another, it's still warm, I know you eat for 8 people anyways," I grinned and made sure to thank her.

But something about what she said stuck with me, like an itch I couldn't reach. Eating for more than myself? I did always eat so much in comparison to anyone else. When I even tried to eat a normal amount I pass out.

Water was the best solution on most days. I'd just go the water fountains in my apartment ground floor and fill a gallon up. 

I could drink endlessly.

The shiver I got when I felt like I was stepping on the ground I can't see, when I reach my hand into an abyss, I can't see my hand or even the dark but I know somethings there.

~~

Days fly by and slow down, time with Sakura is the best I've ever had, and waiting to get back to her is forever.

I try to do it again, but people always run, and no one is even half as cool as Sakura-chan anyway.

~~

I arrived early every day, not wanting to miss seeing her hair bounce as she ran up, not wanting to miss a second with her.

"Look at this scroll I found!" I looked down and saw the red seal on it, and a stamp that read, 

"TS,"

Top Secret.

"Sakura that's illegal!" I whispered, but she rolled her eyes and opened it wide.

"I have access to all of the archives, I shouldn't, and nobody knows it, but that's their problem," I sighed and sat criss-cross on the ground, you don't argue with Sakura, you tell your side of the story and then you do whatever Sakura wants. I'll never tell her, but there's something so bright and human about that. We're both stubborn but in entirely different ways. 

Slowly, we both opened the scroll on the ground.

"A map?" I asked, the red point was up and to the right of the entrance of Konoha, deep in the forest, and a really low... elevation, whatever that means.

Her tiny fingers traced the route already highlighted with a warning on the top right.

'DONT ENTER WITHOUT A SOUL TO BARTER'

"What does barter mean?" She gulped, 

"Trade, don't go without a soul to trade,"

The title said AKUMA.

"A... demon?" I asked, and she nodded.

But we were stubborn and rolled it up, today, as the last few days, the shadows haven't been following me much.

There was also a massive battle over trading tariffs with the Land of Water, I read the newspaper, and it seemed every time there was a spike in violence, there were no eyes looking at me.

But I couldn't tell Sakura, I couldn't scare her away. 

"We should go," I said, her eyes widened and back straightened, 

"Why? How?"

I told her that if there really was a demon, then we should make sure it's there, after all, who would suspect kids of checking for demons.

"They don't exist, but..."

"What if they did?" I asked, and her silence stare searched me, whatever she was looking for she found, and nodded her head.

"Hide that," I said, she instinctively tucked it tight into her jacket, how she had it when she got it.

"You're right, we have to be cautious,"

We spent the next few days picking up gear, compass, one small tent, a storage seal, asking Teuchi what foods stayed fresh the longest.

Turns out canned goods would be our savior, I even went past the gates to watch the fishers.

Two weeks past, the air grew warm, showing signs of late spring, early summer.

Now, we were waiting, waiting for a large event to knock everyone off either of our tails. I'd learned how to make clones of us with another secret scroll, but we know the trip will take a week at most, and while sleep shouldn't affect the clones, me going unconscious suddenly would.

I taught Sakura basic survival tricks, to build a fire, where to kill an animal, and passed down fishing and how to construct a quick base.

Together, we had a chance.

We were passing the streets, looking for some ninja gloves, when we found a Uchiha.

He glanced at us and I felt like he knew what we were up too, I don't know how but the feeling crawled up my spine like a centipede.

He stood next to his brother, who we all noticed was far to busy looking around the shop.

Despite my best wishes, the Uchiha ran over to us.

"What do you want?" Something about him and his dark eyes that I couldn't even find the pupil of, something about his stance, his chakra already being refined like my own.

Something made me want to throw him against the wall.

Then before he could open his mouth, before his skeptical eyes could look any closer, his brother called him back.

"Creep," Sakura whispered and I cackled.

~~

The moment I woke up I knew today was the day, the corners were bright, none of the traps had been activated, not a tingle of 'watch' against me.

Besides, the tariff war with the land of Waves went full out, the newspaper even mentioning a few casualties on our side.

I sent a clone to my room as the tip of the sun gave the empty streets a little light, even the early birds sneering at me, I tugged at the end of my shirt, but sent a clone made to look like Sakura to her room, she would know what it meant.

I traced a tattoo I had on my left shoulder, a sealing tattoo.

It required a constant drip of chakra but it didn't even take a noticeable amount with less than 300 pounds now safe inside the seal.

The best move I'd made after Sakura had noticed the amount of chakra I had, I'd seen that word written on the boards and it's definition countless times. 

I never knew I had a lot of it.

But when I felt warm ice at my side, I smiled.

She'd been working on walking silently since she knew that ninja had to do it. I'd convinced her when we met that she should at least go to the academy with me, to learn skills that no other civilian would.

Easy to say, we both worked on being as solid as we could, what if there was an entrance exam? We didn't have ninja families like that Uchiha boy, so we made our own edge, our own blade.

"Sakura-chan, look at what I found!" 

I took a kunai, it was rusty and used, with blood chipping off the sides.

It was beautiful.

She grabbed it carefully, not like it would injure her, but she would hurt it.

Like it was an antique, a fragile piece of the past. 

"Lovely..." She whispered, and I hadn't heard that word yet, 

"What does, "lovely" mean?" Sakura blinked out of her trance,

"Oh, it's when you love something, you'll call it lovely, like a poem or a picture," I furrowed my eyes, what?

"What's love?" I felt like an idiot, but she never minded me asking things, so I didn't know why her eyes teared up.

"Love?"

"Yeah, sorry, you don't have to answer I didn't mean to trouble-"

"Naruto-kun..." She let the kunai that was once so much to her, drop, and run towards me. I braced myself for a hit and didn't move.

I knew it would hurt, but I couldn't hit her no matter-

Her arms were around my chest, her eyes were normally right below my own, but she ducked her head into my shoulder.

She had little to no strength in her arms, and it was already really hot outside, even though we were behind massive plants, the onlookers stared at us.

But I didn't care about the heat, or the early walkers, or the itch from all the dust on my legs.

Someone was holding me.

Sakura-chan was holding me.

I didn't mean to, but my arms went up and wrapped around her, I made sure to be careful, not letting my dirt-filled hands touch her clean shirt.

"Did... Was it what I asked?" I only really knew words that were used towards me, picking it up on who even dared to walk close to me.

They normally had nothing nice to say, but maybe was a really bad word?

"Naruto, love is... love is an emotion, something you feel. When you love something you keep it in your heart and want to protect it,"

I paused, realizing why I'd never heard it. No one wanted me in their heart after all.

I sucked in a breath and ignored the sting, ignored the way I started to cry too.

"I'll make sure to always keep you in my heart, Sakura-chan," I said, clenching my fist and letting her hair tickle my nose, letting her cold erase my heat, letting her 'love' let me ignore all of my hate.

~~

"How did you do that?" She asked as I felt around for the rock.

"I watch people, sometimes I can watch the shadows," Finally a rock gave in and I pushed the boulder out with all my will. It made a big 'thud' as it hit the ground.

"There's something weird about this rock, but if you really want to push it out, you gotta, like, want it."

But we had no time to let her, we both crawled through the pitch-black tunnel of soil once I shoved the rock back in.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Right here," I heard her scuffle a little faster, and the smell of harsh cherries, the feeling of warm ice brush against me.

"Do you think we've prepared enough?" I nodded, even if she couldn't see it.

"Yeah," But I could tell she was nervous all around.

"What did you learn this week?" I asked, and I felt her thoughtfulness, 

"Aside from you, I learned a bunch about what you were talking about, the reason the Land of Wave disagreed with our tariffs was that the amount lowered. And that's weird, so when I looked into it, it was more a battle of ego - the Land of Lightning lowered theirs to everyone for friendlier trade, but when the Land of Fire started to follow in suit, since the Land of Waves has the worst trade, it would actually hurt them because they have two options, to do the same or not.

"To not would mean unfair trade and animosity, to do so would hurt their already suffering sales,"

That... made a lot of sense.

And Sakura had spent so much brainpower on that, she hadn't even felt a tinge of fear as I flicked a centipede off of me.

We finally got to the end, pushing our way through heavy bushes. 

"That was... easy," She noted, eyes scanning the area, 

"I'll bet my ramen it won't stay that way," 

She pointed to where we were and marked it in ink, I pulled out a water can for the both of us, we stank of sunscreen as the unforgiving sun turned both of us red.

"Are we there yettt?"

"We're ten minutes in,"

"I'm going to rot," I declared and noticed her stiff shoulders.

She was worried we might, so I stopped complaining and walked closer to her, making sure to try and see if there was anything we'd need to fight.

~~

We were a few hours in, nothing but shrubs, and shrubs, and hey look, shrubs.

~~

We set up camp once the sun felt calm and trees cloaked half of the rays. I signed and the miniature tent popped out, we spent a while working on it, but between her common sense any my strength, we were able to set it up without dying to a nail. I covered it in the blankets we stole from our house and our bedding.

"Your pillows are very soft," I mused, and she threw one at me, I threw my own at her and her entire body slammed into the ground, 

"Woah~" She mused, seeing birds. 

"Sakura-chan!" I hollered and ran over, suddenly her glossy gaze went sharp and I got tickled to death, 

"You deserve this," She giggled out while I laughed harder, not bothering to swat her hands away. Soon enough tears reach my eyes and the long walk had already tired us both, the warmth of Konoha and its outside forest was all the heat we needed.

"This is actually good," I whispered while biting into an apple previously in my tattooed seal.

"Mh, you need to try the apple pie my parents make!" My eyes sparkled, for one hopeful moment, but dried in the next, 

"Silly, your parents would hate me," She puffed out her cheeks.

"So? They don't know anything." I laughed, and she laid her head on my stomach, 

"You promise to always be my friend?" She asked looking at me with that intensity she always had, I could see an obscure reflection of my dirt and scrapped up face in her glazed eyes, her cheeks and nose red from the amount of sun we'd gotten today, hands calloused and perfect nails ruined by both her anxious tick and the bushes.

"Your happiness is the best gift I've ever had, I couldn't leave you if you hated every part of me," And that terrifies me, because she could, at the tip of a hat, hate me like everyone else seems to. And I can't, I'd truly hate every part of myself if she did. 

~~

The morning came quick, I found Sakura-chan with the lightest snores using my stomach as a pillow, her knee's curled into the side with the light blanket wrapped gently across her that I'd placed on right before she fell asleep.

...

"What's your favorite color?" I asked when she looked over I shrugged, 

"Nothin' better to do," She turned her attention back to the 'path' and swung the machete best she could. At first, she could barely take on a piece of grass, but then she got a bit of it, now without any strength or stamina - five minutes after starting, she was beaten.

"Why did the forest have to start being thick," She moaned, and I wondered how ninja did it. 

"Here," And it seems I wasn't a natural either, but my days of avoiding any shadows and committing pranks weren't for nothing, I had much more strength.

"It's pink," She said, looking over me, 

"I'm guessing yours is orange?" I stopped suddenly, nearly topping over, 

"No uh. . ." 'your eyes' I wanted to say. Before it, it had been the color of the ocean. I've never seen one in real life, but from photos and the idea of one massive pond full of animals - the way light danced on it was beautiful.

I also liked red, it always seems to refine, but friendly, solid and slippery.

Yellow I also loved, the yellow right before the sun left.

Or forest green, the sight of grass, bushes, and colorful flowers-

"I love them all, I couldn't decide on one," But looking down at my outfit I get why one would think that.

"But orange, orange gets attention,"

"Favorite animal?" I brought out my purse, 

"Frogs!" She giggled, I continued to cut while I whipped the sweat off my eyebrows.

"I don't really have a favorite, dogs are cute, but I hate jellyfish, did you know they don't have a brain! I hate that."

I shook my head, laughing aloud.

"Favorite music?" I asked Sakura looked down, kicking at a stray rock.

"You won't believe me, but any Rock Music calms me down," I blinked.

"I thought you'd like the instrument stuff,"

"Yeah, my parents think I do, I can play the piano and I'm learning the violin," I gasped, she's so cool.

"You're so smart Sakura-chan!" She blushed, 

"I like sad songs," I said, cutting a bush straight through, watching some bugs fly away as the humm of other creatures sang.

I felt Sakura's gaze on me, I could feel it's gentle and analytical observation.

"It keeps me calm, to know that everyone can be sad too, that even really popular and rich people, wouldn't you say so Sakura-chan?" I loved saying her name, it tasted like hope. 

Her lips twisted into a heavy smile, 

"Yeah, some are really good at hiding it, but some aren't," She looked at me when she said the first part, and looked at her hands, grimacing as if there was blood on them. 

"Some just aren't born to be tough," That sentence hurt her, she told it to herself and it hurt her heart.

"Maybe, but some have to learn to be, and you want to be my friend when no one else will... that's some ballsy move," She blushed and glared at me, 

"Naruto-kun!" I giggled, remembering the multiple times the adults would call me that. I know they meant it as an insult, but I would wear it as a badge if I could.

The Worlds Ballsiest Ninja.

"Sorry, sorry, Favorite... Sakura-chan, cover your eyes," She furrowed her eyebrows, but I shoved her behind me, I smelt a lot of human blood. A lot.

"Stay low, stay here," I whispered, and before Sakura could argue, I scaled a bush and ran towards the source.

~~

The tree's all painted in red, the grass a gloomy shade of brown, and in the center of the circle like massacre hung a ninja by his neck, his torso exposed with something burned into his chest.

I stepped over a corpse with my right hand raised toward the woman.

'She had no soul, don't head this warning, and your body will pay the price'

I heard a gasp behind me, turning on my heel, fumbling to grab a kunai - only to see Sakura - tears streamed down her face, I could see the path they had made, removing the dirt from her face.

"Sakura-chan-"

"We have to find them and make them pay..." She whispered, I gulped.

"Sakura-chan we should go back while we can-" 

A howl of wind, the sky turned dark even though it was 3 PM, I felt cold, deathly cold.

"NARUT-" My name had been erased from her lips, I couldn't see a thing, I couldn't move my jaw, and smelt something deeper than coffee, and slightly rotten.

"Hello, kid," A voice, one that sounded as if gravel was glued inside his throat. But it was also disturbingly young, people my age.

A pair of eyes, neon purple, black slits acting as a cats pupil, a thin pale fleshy lid shifting across and then it's eyelids shutting.

I tried to speak, but my jaw pressed down.

I felt a tear prick at my eye, wondering if I'd see Sakura-chan again, if I'd ever get to see the ocean, if I'd ever get to be more then the dirt people walk on. 

"I..Sakura..." I managed to drawl out, the eyes flashed, a small lining going from the inside to the outside of the eye, a reptile, cold-blooded.

"You can save either yourself or that girl, who do you keep?"

"Sakura..." I drawled out, tired, exhausted, every limb sloshed and to much for my spine to hold.

The creature walked into a new light, looking utterly identical to a boy my age, black silky hair, young sharp cheekbones, small nose, thin neck, and dressed in a suit.

"Sakura," I said with all of the will I had, shoving the panic down my throat. 

"SAKARA!"

"You chose the girl huh," He said, blinking in, to out, and back, the critters invaded all of my systems.

"Yes," I said, begging him to save her life.

The sword, an arm-span long at least, rested at my neck, 

"Then it seems," His arm jerked back and I got ready for the slice, thinking of the ocean, of how nice it felt for Sakura to lay her head softly against my stomach, to be trusted. 

I'd be ok, even if I never got to see the sea, I saw a land of green in her eyes, and a world in trust her head.

"I'll claim you." The slash never came fully, the sword stopping at my neck, the wind blowing my hair from the movement alone.

My eyes widened as I found myself back in the forest where the woman shinobi had been hung.

"My name," I flung around, he tilted his head, purple eyes looking at the kunai as it swept past, 

"Is Kuso, as I doubt you know, by stepping into our grounds with the intention to met us is what signs the contract, not blood but craving,"

He explained, but held out a list regardless, 

"We just need to keep track of who's alive,"

"I'm not signing until I know Sakura-chan is safe,"

"You've known her for half a month," He said, I had a feeling mind-reading was their ability, and neither Sakura or I would be spared from it, 

"I would have said that at day one," I growled out, he sighed, looking me straight in the eye, 

"Your stubbornness is quite a peculiarity, I'm glad I picked you to claim," I cringed, but the way his chin lifted after looking to the far left, he was seeing something I wasn't, 

"The girl passed,"

"What the hell did you put her through?!" I yelled, barely keeping myself back.

"My sister, what my sister put her through? A task no average shinobi should ever be able to do,"

I froze, what could that possibly be? What-

"You called?" A girl, the same deathly pale skin, purple eyes, and much longer but silky black hair girl said.

"Hn. Abosa, kinesta,"

I furrowed my eyebrows, they spoke in Demon. Her eyes widened and she turned towards me, 

"Him?"

"Ko."

She shook her head and Sakura suddenly appeared next to me shaken, heavy eye bags under her eyes, fingers twitching with her whole body.

I caught her mid-fall, she passed out instantly.

"I'll ask once more," I didn't realize my growl until my claws caused my arms to bleed. 

"What did you do to her?!" She glanced over, the weird blink again, 

"I had her kill ten people to save one hundred, they weren't real," It made me look at the ground, 

"What about these?" I asked, 

"A genjutsu, there are no bodies anywhere,"


	3. Orange

I carried Sakura on my shoulders as I signed both our names in reluctance, I couldn't do anything about the black band around our throats, the strips that said we belonged to demons.

Luckily it sat low, nearly touching the collar bone. It felt cold to the touch.

A day in our time had been 10 minutes in theirs, so we were three and a half days in with roughly a day and a half to go. I'd eaten half of the food supplies left on my own, and didn't bother to make camp when the sun fell, the forest didn't seem half as alarming with an already marked path.

I felt muscles twitch, Sakura's breath even, 

"Naruto?" The lack of suffix probably took me more by surprise then I'd expected, but then again, half a day ago I said I would have died for her, so I guess we're at that point. 

"Hey," I whispered back, "Do you wanna rest?" I asked setting her down on a stump, her eyes were glossy, 

"I... I killed." 

I stood her back up and grabbed her as tight as I could, so she couldn't think of anything but being warm, being held, 

"They weren't real, and if they were, you made the right choice."

"Killing is never the right choice," she argued and tried to flail away, but I held her tighter as an elbow knocked into my ribs, 

"I shouldn't be alive." Survivors Guilt. Sakura was the one who taught me that.

"The death should have been my own-,"

"Shut up," I said, feeling tears run down both my eyes, pooling in her ripped shirt.

I sniffled, 

"I'd kill all one-hundred-ten of them as long as you stayed alive," her face scrunched as she hugged me just as tight, I let my worry cool itself with her.

"Their eyes... they were so... cold." 

So are you, you feel terrifyingly cold.

"It was a genjutsu," I said. Sakura's head perked up, 

"Are you sure?"

"There's no reason for the demon to lie as far as I know." And for the next minute I held Sakura as close as I could, and she did me, 

"Don't leave... don't ever leave me like that again, you hear?" Her voice trembled out, 

"As long as you can say the same." Neither of us could. 

~~

After we set up the tent, we snuggled in, eating lukewarm soup, not saying a word, but never letting the other out of touch. 

~~

I woke up first again, her arms twitching, a nightmare. My hand found it's way to her face, brushing away the short bits of hair.

When tucked her in close, she stopped twitching and moved in closer.

And for a reason I could never name, I thought of the boy, the Uchiha.

Something other than rage, a drastic pull to see him - that I needed to know that he wasn't hurt, like he had been hurt. Like someone hurt him.

I closed my eyes and continued to brush her hair as her hot breath hit my chest.

~~

"What was your test?" She asked as we rubbed our shoulders at every gait, sometimes we'd wordlessly stop and sit down.

"Kuso asked who I'd let him save, you or me, I chose you, he said that I was claimed and then I was back at the tree's in broad light, then you popped in, unconscious, and I began to carry us home. 

"We don't need a contract, only a will to meet them and their claim mark."

She traced her frosty neck and nodded.

~~

It got easy, for both of us, once we got home the clones finally popped. Shadows following me right after.

All just like normal, and I made sure my collar covered the line.

We met at the Hokage Monument without having to say anything. Sakura laid her head into my lap while reading a book on genjutsus.

"Sakura," I called out, as if to the wind and not to her.

Looking up, she placed her book down, careful not to dirty the cover.

"Yeah?"

"I think you're... lovely, I'm happy I got to protect you." She blushed, but calmed herself easily. I'm particularly good at randomly telling her and others exactly what I feel.

"You won't get that luxury for long. I'm gonna fight our battles one day, for both of us." I nodded and cloud-watched until my skin burned.

We ran into the town, playing with animals, going into shops we couldn't afford for the fun of it, sneaking into a play about a Fire Myth.

And the days rolled on, a week past and we'd evaded the pain narrowly, using each other as stilts.

But the word got out the first day we got back.

The Uchiha Massacre, and the only one left alive, Sasuke Uchiha, the boy who seemed to see right through us two.

~~

Sakura seemed pensive about something the whole day, glancing at me and then right as I thought she'd say something, her eyes connected back to the ground.

I didn't want to rush her, but my curiosity got the better of me, 

"Saku-"

"Do you know how to wash your clothes, it's just... you always have mud and stuff on your uniform and...?" She said, blushing and looking back.

"Yeah, heh, it's one of the things I'm not horrible at actually." A stranger bumped me on the shoulder, knocking me off my feet and my knee's skid right into the dirt.

Then Sakura gasped, it all came to her, the way everyone treated me, I often found myself on the ground.

But no, there's another reason.

"Is it because...?"

"Yeah..." I lied, her fists coiled, she growled at the man, although he had long ago disappeared. 

But she mentally counted to ten and helped me get up. The people around us even glared at her for helping me; at one stall, a woman raised the 'Closed' sign as I walked past.

I clenched my jaw and stared at the green forest far past the village, remembering how Sakura grew out there, like watching strength shift in her despite the price. These people don't affect me when I have Sakura.

~~

Sakura

I smelled it before I saw it, covers and rows of flowers all outside a shop. I thought of Naruto and wondered if he'd even like flowers. With how much he avoided cutting them in the forest I tallied it to a yes and wondered in.

"Hi!" I blinked in surprise, a girl my age with medium length striking platinum hair missed a flower to wave. The water spilled out her bucket, she made an 'oops!' and placed the sprinkler down, running to the counter for a towel.

"Do you work here?" I asked while she swiftly scrubbed the water up.

"Yeah! Have I seen you somewhere before? I swear I've seen your pretty pink hair somewhere!" She was about to reach out to touch it until she noticed her soil-covered gloves were on.

The library. I thought, remembering that I'd often see her from the top floor, she was as much a book nerd as I was. 

I explained as much to her, and she told me her name was Ino, and asked if I was here for any particular flower.

"What orange flowers do you have?"

She grinned and ran me through about a dozen until the Orange Lilly had my eyes shinning.

"It's perfect, how much?" I asked, pulling some money out my pocket when the girl looked around. Her mother was talking to another customer next to some rich purple buds. I turned away from the laughter and saw the Orange Lilys primly sitting in clear, tied wrap. 

"Consider it a gift. Before you go, what's your name?"

I blushed, gingerly taking it out of her small gloved hands.

"Sakura Haruno, are you here often?"

She grinned. 

I left with a soft smile, I'd made a new friend.

~~

1st Day at Academy

NARUTO 

I walked in with trembling feet, already feeling a glare through the door. I walked in, people didn't turn.

I closed the door silently, and walked without sound, sitting in the far back.

Then my counterpart, with the dramatics of an actress, bust in the door, leaving a dent into the wood.

"WOAH!" She cheered, the place was quite roomy and detailed. Dozens of books lined the cabinets, papers stacked on the desk, and 9 pairs of eyes all glued to her form. 

"How intricate..." She mumbled, tracing the carved outlines from the lining across one cabinet, not even feeling their looks, the shadows watch me closely today, it didn't tingle, today their gazes burned. 

From everyone's attention on her, I saw the Uchiha, looking up at her in dulled amusement, like someone told you a joke as you died. 

Once she turned around, I smiled, happy she was so excited, guessing she'd go down to the sides and make other friends, I'd love to see who she mixes with.

But Sakura ignored all the gazes and ran right to me in the back of class, the kid's mouth going agape at my presence.

"When did he-?"  
"Why is that weirdo here?"  
"He's so weird we couldn't see him, Hey! You!" A girl with brown hair, 

"We don't want you here... weirdo!" I gulped and lowered my gaze, feeling my surroundings, counting the marks on desks, biting my gum, anything to divert my attention. 

Sakura confused me yet again, grabbing hold of my wrist and dragging me up, 

"Silly, how do you expect to learn anything from here - we're going to the front,"

Lo and behold, the only other kid dumb enough to submit himself to the front was the last survivor, the Uchiha who once saw through us now didn't bother looking at us. 

"Pst, Sakura, I'm not that bright, it's better if I'm just in the back where-"

"Well you won't get any better out of hearing range, I know this isn't your environment, so go do what you do best." I felt my eyes light up, Sasuke looked at me from the corner of his eye.

What could I, the misfit of Konoha, be good at?

The answer: Being a misfit.

I grinned and ran up to the board, 12 pairs of eyes watching, saying nothing.

The white chalk boomed out like confetti, and some left in the callouses of my palm after I placed it above the sliding door. 

"Nice," Sakura whispered, I sat back down - my eyes glued to the door as the steps crept through the hall.

"Don't stop him, let him get in trouble," A girl whispered from behind us, she had black hair and smelled like ash. 

Then I clapped Sasuke's and Sakura's hands, leaving the chalk on their hands. They froze.

'Thunk'

Everyone's eyes zipped to the door, Iruka-sensei, I'd heard his names plenty times before, traces of it on the board, lingering on hateful mouths with graded papers.

He cringed, picking up the eraser. The class sat in silent amazement.

'It worked?'

Iruka eyes saw Sakura's panicked expression and white hands, Sasuke had slid his neatly under the desk before Iruka's eyes found them.

"Sakura Haruno, this is the first day, I expect better from an rational student like you." She's two years younger than me but got in because she passed all the understudies programs with perfect scores.

I nudged her side as she sighed into her arms on the desk, 

"Clever brat," she whispered, it sounded like a plan - Sakura: 22 - Naruto: 23, we've kept count.

"Alright, class."

Sasuke didn't stiffen around me for the rest of the day. If anything the plan worked perfectly, I'd slapped him out of his shell. 

~~

Lunch came to fast, I buzzed in my seat, I'd watched kids with chubby cheeks like Sakura's and mine walk in, uncomfortable and looking for an adult to to tell them what to do. 

I finally was in the Academy, and I was in it with the girl who inspired me most. And best of all, everything made sense!

"Did you see the way he described chakra? I understood it so well!" 

Of course, I already knew about chakra. But it was like trying to describe red. Yeah, you know it's red, but Iruka-sensei explained it was the blood that ran through you, the roses with thorns, the heat from the sun. 

Now it was Red.

We sat on the side of the school, kids screaming and playing around us, the teachers talking idly and keeping a sharp eye on me. The shadows already have that job silly. 

"We should have a goal," Sakura mentioned, looking skyward and tracing a cloud with her finger. 

"Hm?"

"It's no fun if we know stuff already, so we need a motivator." But learning could never get old to me. 

"We score perfect 100s, whoever doesn't any day has to..." she looked down and around for ideas.

"Whoever doesn't get a 100 has to master a B rank technique no matter how long it takes." I'm in. 

"Sold."

My eyes felt blurry, uncomfortable, the tree's swayed and rusled, the grass green for the early months, birds swinging by Sakura as she giggled, the sun beamed down, harsh and unforgiving, covering all the cold I held inside. 

A tingle.

A knock.

Something inside wrapped around my abdomen like a coil, flexible, curious, that moment in the morning you yawn and stretch in bed wondering what time it is. 

It rumbled, it growled, then it disappeared. I exhaled while thinking how weird that was, then, seeing Sakura's laughing face as a sky-blue jay landed on her head, I decided I didn't care. 

~~

NARUTO

"Then, we'd love to be forgiven?" I asked, tapping the wood beneath my feet with the tip of my shoes, hands behind my back.

"For this? No way!" Iruka yelled, it seems we'd be missing out on lunch today. Sakura's stomach and mine rumbled simultaneously. 

He stuck a hand on his face, sighing. The rest of the class watching with rapt attention.

"Go and eat, we'll discuss the damage after school, I'll get Mitsuki to tell your parent's Haruno-chan." I bit my lip and gave a sad smile, 

"Man, my parents are gonna kill me for this," I said while sighing overdramatically. A full hearty laugh ran out through the class like a gong.

I wouldn't have cared unless the boy who was laughing was Uchiha Sasuke, who slapped his hand on his mouth yet still laughing through it. I found my mouth curved and laughed along with him. 

They hadn't seen this boy smile this whole year, but after a lewd joke about death, Sasuke lost it. 

Ah. So that's our common ground huh?

Iruka berated me from speaking ill of my parents, even though his heart wasn't in it. 

~~

Sakura and I spent the entire afternoon getting the paint off the Hokage's faces.

**Author's Note:**

> w h y   
> e l s e   
> are we all here  
> if no to live with   
> u n r e a s o n a b l e   
> p a s s i o n   
> for things
> 
> \- Butterflies Rising


End file.
